David Eley Douro Map Shortlisted for Roederer Award

"The Louis Roederer International Wine Writers’ Awards 2013 Shortlist Announced". The New illustrated Map of the Douro by artist and writer David Eley has been shortlisted in the category 'The Artistry of Wine' 2013

The awards ceremony will take place at The Royal Academy of Arts on the 10th September 2013.

On Wednesday 10th July the Roederer Awards Judging Panel met at the Maisons Marques et Domaines headquarters in London to discuss in detail their scores for the entries in the Louis Roederer International Wine Writers’ Awards 2013. Despite a series of computer crashes, late nights and weekends spent marking to ensure all the scores were ready on time, the panel were alert and sharp-witted and spent a number of hours engaged in good-humoured debate as to whose submissions were worthy of making it onto the prestigious shortlist for 2013. Charles Metcalfe, Chairman of the Judges, concluded that ‘we had more entries this year than ever before and the sheer quality of the entries in several categories made for lively debate before we decided on the winners.’

The effort put in by such a distinguished panel of judges mirrors the quality of some of the submissions and there was a remarkable degree of unanimity in the scoring, although picking the overall winners was a lengthier task. However, by lunchtime, the shortlist was agreed upon and the judges were rewarded with a glass of Louis Roederer Cristal 2005 followed by a delicious lunch at Chez Bruce which was complemented by the wines from our 2013 category sponsors Domaines Ott, Ramos Pinto, Domaine Faiveley and Meerlust Estate.

Churchill's Port House Pops Up Again !

Churchill's Port founded by Johnny Graham in 1981 is once again present in Soho, London. Back by popular demand, Churchill's Port House in Greek Street will stay until summer at the very least... http://www.churchills-porthouse.com/

There are various landscapes that get under your skin. I've been on safari in southern Africa only once and for a very short time, but I defy anyone exposed to the haunting rawness of the terrain to be immune to its call. Among wine regions I'd nominate the Douro Valley in northern Portugal as

'Winechap' Tom Harrow takes a comprehensive and elegant view of the world's oldest demarcated wine region, the Douro Valley of Northern Portugal - home to Port wine, the Douro Boys and a place where lady's crinolines are still respected... Pipadouro Vintage Wine Travel and David Eley take Winechap to meet the leading winemakers and taste the gastronomic delights of Chef Rui Paula.... Vallado, Vale Meão, Niepoort, Carvalhas, Crasto and Vale Dona Maria...

Crasto's Command Performance

A recent visit by Winechap (Tom Harrow) to the Douro valley in northern Portugal, was hosted by Vintage Wine Travel and crowned by a really wonderful dinner in the company of distinguished winemaker Manuel Lobo and proprietor Tomás Roquette of Quinta do Crasto. Not only did wild Partridge in Port wine perfectly punctuate a fabulous menu, but an array of great Crasto vintages culminated with two of Portugal's greatest red wines, Crasto's Vinha da Ponte and Maria Teresa... as the image shows, Tom Harrow was spoilt for choice when confonted with an array of fine vintage wines back to the nineties... a memorable way to conclude a truly original Douro visit !

'Dourochap' - Tom Harrow visits Douro

Tom Harrow seen rising to the top of the mighty Valeira Dam in the Douro Superior onboard 'Friendship 1' after an extraordinary Vintage Wine Travel trip with Pipadouro... more coming soon via the distniguished and elegantly erudite Winechap..... watch this space !

"Douro Film Harvest is a different and exceptional event by combining film, food and music in a unique way. DFH excels by some of the best crops of films in the superb scenery of the Douro and Porto, both World Heritage, contributing to the dissemination and development of a region with unique features and enormous potential"....

The results of db’s inaugural Fortified Masters have been released, highlighting the quality of aged tawny Port, very old Sherries as well as Australia’s best barrel aged fortifieds.

Conducted last month at the offices of the Institute of Masters of Wine in London, the Fortified Masters saw judges taste their way through almost 100 entries from around the world to award a range of medals, from the highest accolade of master, to gold, silver and bronze, based on scores out of 100.

Blind tasting can of course either destroy or confirm prior views of a product or category, but in the case this competition, it managed to do both.

Star Portuguese Chef Nuno Mendes is now in charge of fine dining at London's latest hip hotel in the heart of Marylebone, the Chiltern Firehouse: "An American twist at André Balazs’s new Marylebone venture....Pedigrees abound at the much-anticipated Chiltern Firehouse. The hotel itself is André Balazs’s first London venture, joining a gloriously chic family that includes LA’s Chateau Marmont, New York’s The Mercer and The Standard Hollywood. The cuisine, meanwhile, is the province of Portuguese chef Nuno Mendes, who spent 16 years in the US training under such lauded chefs as Wolfgang Puck and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and who leaves his Michelin-starred restaurant Viajante in Bethnal Green to produce American-influenced dishes for foodies and film stars.

Martine Saunier Films in the Douro

French producer of the highly aclaimed film 'A Year in Burgundy', Martine Saunier has been filming her new movie on the Douro with British director David Kennard... here we can see her dancing in the lagares of majestic Quinta do Vesúvio with Port wine legend Paul Symington... the Abba hit 'Dancing Queen' comes to mind !

Vintage Wine Travel at Vallado

Tom Harrow alias 'Winechap' was recently a guest of Vintage Wine Travel (Pipadouro) and Quinta do Vallado for a wonderful tasting of all Douro Boys' premium fine wines, followed by a sumptuous luncheon perched high above the Corgo River in glorious sunshine... here we see Gonçalo Correia dos Santos (front) Joao Alvares Ribeiro(L) and Tom Harrow (R) enjoying a fine cigar and reclining in a vintage Fiat from Classico Porto... surely the only way to travel !!

The Yeatman's wine list is distinguished once again as one of the most prestigious in the world by Winespectator....

The Yeatman has just been awarded the prestigious distinction "Best of Award of Excellence 2013” by the renowned and influential wine magazine, Wine Spectator. The Yeatman has just been awarded the prestigious distinction "Best of Award of Excellence 2013” by the renowned and influential wine magazine, Wine Spectator for the second year running"....

Portugal's Vinho Verde is the ultimate hot-weather wine. But it's no pushover, Will Lyons explains. THE THERMOMETER in our garden tipped 33°C the other night, which is about as hot as it gets in London. After six pretty poor summers, it seems a heat wave is now sweeping across these islands, giving us temperatures to rival Southern Europe's more sun-baked cities.

David Eley Douro Map Shortlisted for Roederer Award

"The Louis Roederer International Wine Writers’ Awards 2013 Shortlist Announced". The New illustrated Map of the Douro by artist and writer David Eley has been shortlisted in the category 'The Artistry of Wine' 2013

The awards ceremony will take place at The Royal Academy of Arts on the 10th September 2013.

On Wednesday 10th July the Roederer Awards Judging Panel met at the Maisons Marques et Domaines headquarters in London to discuss in detail their scores for the entries in the Louis Roederer International Wine Writers’ Awards 2013. Despite a series of computer crashes, late nights and weekends spent marking to ensure all the scores were ready on time, the panel were alert and sharp-witted and spent a number of hours engaged in good-humoured debate as to whose submissions were worthy of making it onto the prestigious shortlist for 2013. Charles Metcalfe, Chairman of the Judges, concluded that ‘we had more entries this year than ever before and the sheer quality of the entries in several categories made for lively debate before we decided on the winners.’

The effort put in by such a distinguished panel of judges mirrors the quality of some of the submissions and there was a remarkable degree of unanimity in the scoring, although picking the overall winners was a lengthier task. However, by lunchtime, the shortlist was agreed upon and the judges were rewarded with a glass of Louis Roederer Cristal 2005 followed by a delicious lunch at Chez Bruce which was complemented by the wines from our 2013 category sponsors Domaines Ott, Ramos Pinto, Domaine Faiveley and Meerlust Estate.

"It may well be that the northern Portuguese are uniquely equipped to withstand the rigours of the economic crisis. It’s perhaps due in part to their nature, more placid and patient than many of their neighbours. It could also be a practical, even frugal, attitude honed over centuries"...

UNESCO World Heritage Centre. "Wine has been produced by traditional landholders in the Alto Douro region for some 2,000 years. Since the 18th century, its main product, port wine, has been world famous for its quality. This long tradition of viticulture has produced a cultural landscape of outstanding beauty that reflects its technological, social and economic evolution".

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